Selectively reinforced medical devices

Abstract

A medical device including a component made of polyurethane having a reinforced pattern comprising polytetramethylene ether glycol.

1 . A medical device comprising:
 a component made of polyurethane having a reinforced pattern comprising polytetramethylene ether glycol.   
   
   
       2 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the medical device is a catheter. 
   
   
       3 . The medical device of  claim 2 , wherein the component is a main body portion of the catheter comprising at least one lumen and the main body portion has a proximal end portion and a distal end portion. 
   
   
       4 . The medical device of  claim 3 , wherein the reinforced pattern comprises at least one strip extending longitudinally from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion of the main body portion of the catheter. 
   
   
       5 . The medical device of  claim 3 , wherein the reinforced pattern is disposed at the distal end portion of the main body portion of the catheter. 
   
   
       6 . The medical device of  claim 3 , wherein the reinforced pattern is disposed at the proximal end portion of the main body portion of the catheter. 
   
   
       7 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the reinforced pattern is a blend of the polytetramethylene ether glycol and the polyurethane, with the polytetramethylene ether glycol being present in the blend at 1% to 5% by weight. 
   
   
       8 . The medical device of  claim 1 , further comprising an extended release material incorporated in the component. 
   
   
       9 . The medical device of  claim 8 , wherein the release material is mixed with the polytetramethylene ether glycol. 
   
   
       10 . The medical device of  claim 9 , wherein the extended release material is dissolved in the polytetramethylene ether glycol using a solvent at a temperature above ambient temperature. 
   
   
       11 . The medical device of  claim 8 , wherein the extended release material is an antimicrobial agent. 
   
   
       12 . The medical device of  claim 11 , wherein the antimicrobial agent comprises any one or more of a guanidium, a biguanide, a bipyridine, a phenoxide antiseptic, an alkyl oxide, an aryl oxide, a thiol, an aliphatic amine, an aromatic amine, bismuth, chlorxylenol, protamine, colofoctol, chloroxylenol, triclosan, gendine, genlenol, genlosan, genfoctol, octenidine, chlorhexidine, alexidine, hexamidine, silver, silver sulfadiazine, chlorhexidine-silver sulfadiazine, chlorhexidine acetate, chlorhexidine gluconate, chlorhexidine hydrochloride, chlorhexidine and propanol, chlorhexidine base and chlorhexidine acetate, povidone-iodine, cefazolin, teicoplanin, vancomycin, an aminosterol, a magainin, a furanone, a halogenated furanone, a triarylmethane dye, a monoazo dye, a diazo dye, an indigoid dye, a xanthene dye, a fluorescein dye, an anthraquinone dye, a quinoline dye, gentian violet, crystal violet, ethyl violet, brilliant green, methylene blue, rifampicin, taurolidone, 5-fluorouracil, Adriamycin, a tetracycline, minocycline, clindamycin, rifampin-minocycline, and salts thereof. 
   
   
       13 . The medical device of  claim 12 , wherein the antimicrobial agent comprises chlorhexidine. 
   
   
       14 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the component comprises at least one of antithrombogenic and anti-inflammatory agents. 
   
   
       15 . A method of forming a medical device, comprising:
 forming polyurethane into a component of the medical device; and   forming a reinforced pattern in the component, the reinforced pattern comprising polytetramethylene ether glycol.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the reinforced pattern is formed by coextrusion of the polytetramethylene ether glycol with the polyurethane. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the reinforced pattern is formed by blending the polytetramethylene ether glycol with the polyurethane. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the reinforced pattern is formed by exposing the component to the polytetramethylene ether glycol after formation of the component. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the medical device is a catheter. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the component is a main body portion of the catheter comprising at least one lumen and the main body portion has a proximal end portion and a distal end portion. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the step of forming a reinforced pattern comprises forming at least one reinforced strip extending longitudinally from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion of the main body portion of the catheter. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the step of forming a reinforced pattern comprises forming the reinforced pattern at the distal end portion of the main body portion of the catheter. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the step of forming a reinforced pattern comprises forming the reinforced pattern at the proximal end portion of the main body portion of the catheter. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising incorporating an extended release material into the medical device. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the step of incorporating comprises mixing the release material with the polytetramethylene ether glycol. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the step of incorporating comprises dissolving the release material in the polytetramethylene ether glycol using a solvent at a temperature above ambient temperature. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the extended release material is an antimicrobial agent. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the antimicrobial agent comprises any one or more of a guanidium, a biguanide, a bipyridine, a phenoxide antiseptic, an alkyl oxide, an aryl oxide, a thiol, an aliphatic amine, an aromatic amine, bismuth, chlorxylenol, protamine, colofoctol, chloroxylenol, triclosan, gendine, genlenol, genlosan, genfoctol, octenidine, chlorhexidine, alexidine, hexamidine, silver, silver sulfadiazine, chlorhexidine-silver sulfadiazine, chlorhexidine acetate, chlorhexidine gluconate, chlorhexidine hydrochloride, chlorhexidine and propanol, chlorhexidine base and chlorhexidine acetate, povidone-iodine, cefazolin, teicoplanin, vancomycin, an aminosterol, a magainin, a furanone, a halogenated furanone, a triarylmethane dye, a monoazo dye, a diazo dye, an indigoid dye, a xanthene dye, a fluorescein dye, an anthraquinone dye, a quinoline dye, gentian violet, crystal violet, ethyl violet, brilliant green, methylene blue, rifampicin, taurolidone, 5-fluorouracil, Adriamycin, a tetracycline, minocycline, clindamycin, rifampin-minocycline, and salts thereof. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the antimicrobial agent comprises chlorhexidine. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising adding at least one of antithrombogenic and anti-inflammatory agents to the component.